Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-06
TOLD SEA CAPTAIN.
a Love Romance which Began and
Ended ON Water.


A Darien GA special says: Three
jolly-countenanced men sat up in the
Firemen's Hall the other evening en-
veloped in q dense cloud Of fragrant
smoke. Their appearance indicated
that they were sea captains. "Here is
TO Aud Lang Syne," said one, "and
may the devil take low freights and adj
verse winds" The toast was drank en-
Enthusiastically. speaking of Aud
Lang Syne," rejoined another,
reminds me of an adventure
in my life that for romance and sad
ness is hard to beat" The weather.
beaten countenapce assumed @ sad ex-
preston, and a slight tremor became
noticeable in the speakers voice. 81
was young, then" he continued, ga
regular happy-go-lucky daredevil,
twenty-four years Of age, and in COM
mand of as pretty and fast craft as
ever skinned the Atlantic, 'Socskum-
meren, (the sea-skimmer,J Of Avendal,
Norway. Well, as fate would have it,
an old Norwegian captain invited me
aboard OF his vessel while lying in
Oporto. 1t was here met the fairy
for the preservation Of whose life
I afterwards recklessly risked mine.
1t is only due to her, though,
to say that, if ever human frame
were endowed with heavenly quail
tiles, this young daughter Of q
typical old seadog could boast of them.
j not only fell desperately in love with
this fair maiden, but became perfectly
obliyious to everything else. When
with her / imagined the very atmos-
phere was impregnated with hallowed
sweetness-when away from her the
world seemed dark and dreary. For
two weeks the Socskummeren had
been ready for sea, but despite deter
mined efforts to overcome my in
fatuation l could not leave the
place where she still fingered. She
held me bound in letters, which,
though invisible, were stronger than
the stoutest of iron. Day after
day my conscience occasionally up
braided my weakness, but only mo-
ment after Rugged the chain that kept
me a prisoner. At last the old craft
containing my treasure left the harbor.
Socskummeren soon followed suit,
and with the impotence Of prancing
steed she seemed anxious to pass the
vessel / loved so well TO follow. | gave
orders to shorten sail, and for days j
managed the Socskummeren's speed so
as TO remain beside her. We had ar
ranged code of signals, and long
after the sun had sunk in the west
or before it had commenced to
purple the eastern sky i stood
on the Socskummeren's deck gazing at
her. AT last during squally night we
lost sight of her. j secured the ocean
in all directions, but fruitlessly. Three
solid weeks had passed and not a
glimrse obtained of the other vessel.
One day when off the Bahamas we got
into one OF the most violent northers |
had ever experienced. With all her
staunchness and seaworthy qualities
even the Socskummeren Jared badly. A
storm of ten hours duration had stirred
the waters up terribly. The atmos-
phere was hazy, and it was i'm
possible to see anything at more
than 800 yards distance. Judge,
then, of my surprise when sud-
denly a green painted hulk, mastless
and unnayigable, made its appearance
on the scene. With one hand / held
the spyglass and with the other /
graspcd the rigging. On discovering
the situation all fear for the safety of
myself, crew, and vessel vanished. On
the quarterback, clnging to the rail-
ing, saw the one who was dearer to
me than anything on earth, and few
feet distant, as it seemed, in supreme
desperation, stood her aged, silvery-
whiskere red father. / Immediately gave
ordeis to launch the largest boat, and
-four brave-hearted young sailors gen
erously volunteered to accompany me
on my dangerous mission. A few
minutes after and We could only see
the Socskummeren when simultane
ously on the crests of some gigantic
waves. By dint of superhuman de-
termination TO save her life / succeeded
in getting her from the wreck into my
boat. How, / but indistinctly remem-
Der. recollect, however, on returning,
that when q huge wave dashed our frail
boat against the Socskummeren j man
aged, with her in one arm, TO grasp the
rigging and remain on board while the
poor sailors found watery grave. After
being safe on board the Socskummeren
her first query was where is my
father ?" While gazing around va
cantly her eye caught the green-paint-
ed, storm tossed wreck, and her aged
father still clinging TO it. A scream as
loud as storm-birds came from her,
she freed herself from my grasp and
plunged overheard. In moment l
had line around my waist and plunged
after her. / was hauled aboard again,
bruise1 haftered and iuspn6ible The